Improvement in roofing-machines



2 Sheets--Sheet 1.

CHARLES B. KOONS'.

Improvement in Roofing-Machins.

Patented June11, 1872.

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2Sheets--Shet'2.

CHARLES B. KOONS. I

Improvement in Roofing-Machines.

No. 127,896, Patentedlune11,1872.

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PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES B. KOONS, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

EMPREQVEMENT IN ROOFING-MACHINES.

- Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 127,896, dated J nne11,1872.

Specification describing an Improved Roofin g-Machine, invented byCHARLES B. K0 ONS, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Improved Roofing-Machine.

' Sheet 1, is a perspective view of my improved roofing-machine; Fig.2,a transverse section on the line 1, Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a sectional view ofthe tin roller; Fig. 4, a transverse section on the line 2, Fig. 1; Fig.5, a transverse section on the line 3, Fig. 1; Fig. 6, a transversesection on the line 4, Fig. 1; Fig. 7, a transverse section on the line5, Fig. 1; and Figs. 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, and'15, Sheet 2, diagramsillustrating the successive operations of the machine. All of thetransverse sections on Sheet 1 are drawn to a larger scale than Fig. 1,and the diagrams, Sheet 2, are drawn to a larger scale than the saidtransverse sections.

The machine is composed of two main parts, A and B, Fig. 1, the formerof which consists of opposite side frames 0 and D connected together bya cross-piece, E, to which is secured a seat, a, for the operator, thisportion of the machine being supported at one side by ordinary wheels I)I) hung to the frame C, and at the opposite side by three inclinedwheels, F, F, and G, hung to the frame D, beveled at their outer edges 0so that they may have a firm and flat bearing upon the roof, and allgeared together by cog-wheels 61 upon their spindles, and similarintermediate cogwheels, Figs. 5, .6, and 7, so that when motion isimparted to either of the wheels F or F the whole of the series of threewheels shall be turned in the same direction and at the same rate ofspeed. The portion B of the machine has a frame, H, supported at itsouter end by two wheels, 0 e, turning loosely upon a roller-shaft, 0,Figs. 1 and 2, and secured at its inner end by a bolt or pivot, f, tothe cross-piece E of the frame of the portion A of the machine. Eitherend of the portion Aof the machine may be considered the front, as it isprecisely alike at both ends, and the connection with the portion B atthe point f is such that the latter can be turned so that it shallalways be in the advance when the machine is in operation, and befollowed by the portion A whether the said machine be moved in onedirection or the other. The driving-shaft I is immediately in advance ofthe seat a, has its bearings in the frame 11 of the portion B of themachine, Figs. 1 and 5,

and is formed with two cranks or treadles, g g, in order to enable it tobe turned by the feet of the operator. The driving-shaft has at itsopposite ends slip-couplings g, by which it is connected at one end to ashaft, J, hung to the side frame D of the machine, and furnished with abevel-wheel, h, gearing into teeth h on the inclined driver F, beforereferred to; and at the other end it is similarly connected to acrank-shaft, K, having its bearings in the side frame 0 of the machine,and attached by a rod, c, to a crank, i on the side frame intended to beturned by the hand of the operator. This crank-shaft K, which forms acontinuation of the driving-shaft, may, if desired, be attached to oneof the supportingwheels I), in order'to convert the latter into adriver. The intermediate inclined drivingwheel G is provided at theinner end of its spindle with a crank, F, to be turned by the operatorwith one hand, while with the other he grasps the crank i and with hisfeet turns the cranked driving-shaft I, the portion A of the machinebeing thus propelled over a roof, pushing the portion B before it. Whenthe relative positions of the portions A and B are reversed, by turningthe latter upon its bolt f, so as to make what was formerly the rear thefront of the machine, the driving-shaft I is disconnected from theshafts J and K, and, after being turned or reversedwith the portion B,is connected at one end by means of its slip-couplings g to a shaft, J,and at its opposite end to the shaft K, which, with its appliances, isalso turned over and adapted to a bearing, j, on the side frame 0,similar to its former bearing j at the other end of the side frame,Figs. 1 and 7. The shaft J is precisely similar to the shaft J, andcommunicates motion in the same manner as the latter by means of abevel-wheel, h, to the driver F,

and thence to the wheels G and F. The inclined driving-wheel F isbeveled on its inner edge at such an angle that the lowermost porthedriving-wheel, the beveled edge 7c of the latter being parallel, ornearly so, with the edge of the said wheel L, for a purpose describedhereafter. (See Figs. 5 and 11.) The driver F at the other end of theside frame D is also formed with a beveled edge, is, and flange l, atright angles to the same, and is combined with a wheel, L, similar tothe wheel L, and operated in the same manner by the bevel-pinion, h,before referred to, on the shaft J. (See Figs. 1, 7, and 15.) The intermediate driver G has a beveled edge, m, the lowermost portion of whichis always vertical, and a flange. 1', at right angles to the same, andthe said driver is combined with a plain wheel, P, hung to the sideframe D at such an inclination that its edge and upper surface shall fitinto the angle formed by the beveled edge m and flange n of the driver.(See Figs. 6 and 13.) At a point about midway between the drivers F andG there are two wheels, M and N, both hung loosely to the side frame Dat right angles to each other, and in such relation that a narrow spaceshall intervene between the vertical edge of the wheel M and the roundedface of the wheel N. (See Figs. 6 and 12.) There are also preciselysimilar wheels M and N between the drivers G and F. (See Figs. 7 and14.) At the outer end of the portion B of the machine is a transverserod, 12, supported at one end by the frame H, and at its opposite end bya hooked lever, 12, adapted to a hole in the said rod, thus holding thelatter in position, and enabling it, after detaching the said lever, tobe withdrawn from the frame. (See Figs. 1 and 3.) A flanged roller, Q,(carrying the rolled strip of sheet metal, which is to be laid upon theroof, edged up, and joined to other similar strips,) is adapted to andarranged to turn loosely upon the rod 1). One of the flanges q of thisroller is made detachable, in order to enable the rolled strip of sheetmetal to be slipped onto the same from one end; and the said roller canalso be adjusted toward one side of the machine or the other upon itsrod 1), and be retained after adjustment by means of washers q adaptedto the said rod. (See Fig. 3.) The object in thus adjusting the rolleris to enable more of one edge of the roll of tin than the other to besubjected to the creasing and edging devices, as will be hereafterexplained. Adjacent to the tin roller Q, but-at a lower level than thesame, are two parallel rollers, R and B, one directly beneath the other,and both covered with rubber or other equivalent yielding material 0".(See Figs. 1 and 2.) The roller B is hung to the transverse shaft 13 t,before referred to, but turns in a direction opposite to that of thewheels 6 e, and the roller R is hung to a shaft having its bearings inthe opposite sides of the frame H. In the center of the roller B thereis a steel disk, r having a rounded edge adapted to a correspondingconcavity in the edge of a disk, r secured to the roller R, the objectof which will be explained hereafter, and at each'of the opposite endsof the roller B there is a conical bending-wheel, 8. (See Figs. 1, 2,and 8.) At one side of the frame H, adjacent to the rollers R and R, butat a somewhat lower level, is a conical wheel, S, slightly inclined fromthe horizontal, and having at its lower edge a flange, t, and into theangle formed by the latter and the conical edge of the wheel extends aplain wheel, T, hung loosely to the frame H. At the opposite side of themachine there is-a precisely-similar conical flanged wheel, S, and plainwheel, T, and on line with the flanges of the said wheels S and S arenarrower ledges or platforms t, secured to the frame for the support ofthe sheet metal, to be operated upon as hereafter described. (See Figs.1, 3 and 9.) At a point between the wheels S and T and the portion A ofthe machine is a conical wheel, U, narrower at its lower than at itsupper edge, and hung to a rod, V, pivoted to the frame H, so that whenthe latter is reversed, as before mentioned, the said wheel U can beturned around in order to occupy the same position in respect to thewheels S and T that it formerly occupied in respect to the wheels S andT. (See Figs. 1 and 10.)

The operation of roofing, as ordinarily conducted, is as follows: Anumber of sheets of tin are soldered together so as to form strips ofthe required length, which strips, in the form of rolls, are conveyedonto the roof, and there unrolled and placed side by side. The oppositeedges of each strip are then, by means of tongs constructed especiallyfor the purpose, bent upward at right angles to a height varying fromthree-fourths of an inch to one and one-half inch; but the turned-upedge at one side must be lower than that at the other. This having beenaccomplished, the several strips are properly adjusted and secured tothe roof so that the high turned-up edge of one shall be adjacent to orin contact with the low turned-up edge of the next, after which, bymeans of mallets, or by clamping and bending machines, the edge of onestrip is bent over that of the next so as to form what is termed asingle standing-joint or seam or, by bending the said edges one aroundthe other by a double turn, a double seam may be formed.

By the use of my machine these several independent operations are madecontinuous from the unrolling of the tin to the forming of the single ordouble seam. The roll of tin is placed rzaeee 3 upon the roller Q anddrawn through the machine, and is secured at its outer end to the roof,so that, as the machine is moved forward by'the operator seated thereon,the tin shall be unrolled and laid upon the roof. In order that theoperation of the machine may be fully understood we will suppose thatone strip, X, Fig. 10, has already been laid upon the roof, and its edgeas bent upward and inward, as shown, and that another strip, Y, is beingpaid out by the machine, to be laid alongside of and secured to thestrip X by a double seam. The tiny after passing from the roller Q, isfirst passed between the rollers R and R and over the inclined orbevel-wheels s s at the opposite ends of the roller It. The gum-coveredrollers will straighten and remove all inequalities and wrinkles fromthe tin, and will, at the same time, press the latter onto thebevelwheels 8 s, by which its opposite edges 3/ and y will be slightlyturned up, as shown in Fig. 8. A central rib, 2, will also be formed onthe strip of tin by the disks r and 1' .which rib will strengthen thestrip and render it less liable than usual to be fiapped and lifted fromthe roof by the wind. It will be observed that the turned-up edge y ofthe strip is narrower than the opposite edge y and than the edge'a; ofthe adjacent strip, with which it is to be joined. This is essential,and is accomplished by setting the roller Q a little to one side uponits rod 10 in the manner before described.

(See Figs. 3, 8, and 10.) From the rollers R and R the tin passes overthe supporting-platforms t, and thence between the two sets ofbending-wheels S T and S T, Fig. 9. The wheels T and T press the tindown upon the flanges t of the wheels S and S, and thus, by forcing thebent edges y and y against the beveled sides of the said wheels, turnthe said edges up to a still greater extent. (See Fig. 9.) The edge y ofthe tin is next, in passing the beveled edge of the wheel U, bent inwardby the samev until parallel, or nearly so, with the opposite edge 3which is now in contact with the higher or wider edge .70 of theadjacent strip, with which it is to be joined. (See Fig. 10.) Thiscompletes the operation with the edge 3 until the next strip is laid;and the edges as and 3 are joined by the device attached to the portionA of the machine when the latter passes over them, as I will now proceedto describe.

. In passing between the wheels F'and L, Fig. 11, the inclined edges 00and y will be turned upward to a vertical position, and, by the actionof the flanges t of the wheel F, the extreme upper portion of the edgeas will be turned over the edge y at right angles to the latter. Thisturned-over portion of the edge as will next be flattened in against theedge y by the action of the curved face of the wheel N 'in' passingbetween the latter and the wheel M, which will complete the single seam.(See Fig. 12.) Nearly the same operation is repeated to form the doubleseam, the upper portion of the joined flanges being first turned over atright angles by passing between the wheels G and P, Fig.

13, then turned in by the action of the wheels M and N, Fig. 14, andfinally pressed flat by the last pair of wheels F and L, Fig. 15. \Vhenthe whole of the strip of tin has been thus paid out and joined to theone already laid, another roll is placed upon the roller Q, and themachine is then run back and lifted to one side so as to lay this thirdstrip by another forward movement in the same direction. I prefer,however, where the strips are of great length, to reverse the portion Bof the machine upon the portion A, as before described, after the layingof a strip, so as to make what was formerly the front the rear of themachine, and thus lay the next strip on the return movement of themachine. To accomplish this it is necessary, after the reversing of theportion B, to connect the driving-shaft I with the shafts J and K toturn the wheel U and to shift the tin rollers Q so as to bring thenarrow edge of the tin to the proper side.

If desired, the operator may push the ma- Q chine before him over theroof instead of sitting upon and propelling it in the manner of avelocipede. In such case the seat and cranked driving-shaft andhand-cranks could be dispensed with.

I claim as my invention- 1. A roofing-machine the operating parts ofwhich are attached to two main frames, A and B, connected together andcapable of being turned one upon the other, substantially as and for thepurpose described.

2. The combination, with a roofing-machine, of a cranked driving-shaftfor being operated by the feet, the supplemental hand-cranks, and thedriving-wheels, whereby the said machine may be propelled over a roof,as set forth.

3. The roller Q hung to a rod, p, on the frame H, and otherwiseconstructed and arranged, substantially as herein described, for theready attachment and retention of a rolled strip of sheet metal.

4. The said roller Q, rendered adjustable upon the rod 19 by washers qor their equivalents, Fig. 3, for the purpose specified.

5. The combination, substantially as described, of the elastic rollers Rand R and disks r and 1 attached to or forming part of the said rollers.

6. The combination of the rollers Q and rollers R and B with the beveledbending-wheels s s, and with the other bending-wheels arranged on amachine for traversing a roof.

7. The combination, substantially as described, of the bending-wheels Sand T and S T.

8. The combination of theroller Q, straightening-rollers R and R,beveled wheels 8 s, flanged and beveled wheels S and S, plain wheels Tand T, and the beveled wheel U.

9. The wheel U hung to a pivoted rod, V, and capable of being turnedwith the latter to one side of the machine or the other.

10. The inclined beveled-edged wheel F and horizontal ornearly-horizontal Wheel L, constructed and operating togethersubstantially as described.

11. The combination, with the said wheels F and L, of the horizontalwheel M and vertical wheel N.

12. The combination of the aboveanentioned wheels and beveled wheel Gand inclined wheel P.

13. The combination, substantially as described, with the three wheelsF, F, and G,

and their appliances, all geared together and operating simultaneously,of the two sets of wheels M N and M N.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name i to this specification inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses.

(JHAS. B. KOONS. Witnesses:

WM. A. STEEL, HARRY SMITH.

